Worst Hands in Texas Hold’em Poker

When playing poker, there are a lot of decisions that have to be made in regards to specific hands. Often, the player must know when to play and when to fold a hand, based on the odds of that hand being a winner or a loser. Below are some of the worst possible hands in Texas Hold’em Poker, and why. If you’re a beginning poker player, we recommend you flush these as soon as you see them!

7-2

Statistically 7-2 unsuited is the worst possible hand to start with. This is because there is no chance to create a straight or flush with these two cards. Also, with seven being the high card it has a very low chance to hold up compared to another hand. In some cases people will play this hand for fun and it even has a nickname “The Hammer”.

8-2

Using the same logic 8-2 is the next worst hand to have. The rationale for 7-2 applies, except the high card is now an eight. This is still not a very good high card compared to other possible hands.

7-3 and 8-3

These are also horrible hands. They can beat 7-2 and 8-2, but rarely beat any other hand. Suited or Unsuited, these are meant to be flushed without second thought.

6-2

The next worst hand is 6-2. With this hand a straight is possible, but even if 3-4-5 are on the board a 7-6 can beat this hand. Even though the six would not beat a seven or eight, the possibility of a straight makes this hand a slightly better hand than the previous ones.

2-9, 3-9, and 4-9

Then next worst hands in poker are 2-9, 3-9, and 4-9. The nine as a high card makes this hand better than some, but it can still be beat by too many hands.

10-2

10-2 is another bad hand. Although statistically it is poor, some may play with this hand because a famous poker player won the World Series of Poker with this hand twice.

9-5, 3-6, 4-7, 4-8, and 5-8

9-5, 3-6, 4-7, 4-8, and 5-8 are also poor hands to get. While these may have some slight statistical advantage over a few hands, they should be avoided for the most part. When playing poker for fun these hands can be played, but they should be avoided for the most part if you really want to keep your chips. Of course the possibility of winning with these hands is increased when the cards are suited. Because poker is a situational game there are times when playing these hands can be beneficial. The most important thing to remember when you’re playing poker is to play smart and have fun!

Mark Satskov is a semi-professional poker player. In his spare time, he likes blogging about poker and other card games. He is currently blogging for SandzPoker, a Free Texas Hold’em Poker game that allows people to practice their skills with virtual chips, before heading to the casino and play real money.